My Mika,forever in my heart.

by Trish
(Bangor,Wales, UK)

Mika did not have an easy start, on the 17th of April 2000 he arrived very undignified bum first, and my what a big bum it was too, his mum struggled to give birth for hours when the vet said it was time for me to help out!

I helped as best I could and this ball of mess arrived in my hands all cold and still in the bag of fluid. As soon as I delivered the after birth, this kitten's mum ran off to hide leaving me holding the baby! She went on to have 5 other babies, all healthy black and white, while I was left pulling this watery bag from this poor little (ok with a big back end!) chap.

I rubbed him gently with a towel. The vet I was on the phone with said its best to leave it alone, but as I stroked him with a towel I noticed what a strange colour he was. Pure silver, with big huge eyes. I just fell in love instantly. I could not give up. A few minutes later I was awarded with life. I tried to put him back with his mum but she was busy with her other babies, so I thought, "ok I'll do my best."

The all grey colour of Mika melted my heart. He spent the next couple of weeks close to my heart keeping warm in my bra, and being fed every hour or so.

We grew a very close bond. When he took his first trip in the big wide outdoors, I felt like a mother feels leaving her child at school for the very first time. That worried, fretful feeling never left me every time he went for a walk away from the house. If he was a few hours late I'd panic!

He was such a baby. Like a child who does not wish to be apart from their mum: sitting on the side of the bath watching me; sleeping in my arm as I slept; waking me up with the loud purring in my ear because I stopped stroking him on his nose!

We had a fantastic 7 years together, before I had to make that dreadful decision to have him put to sleep on the 30th of Jan 2008 due to advanced kidney failure.

I always said if anything happened to *my boy* id be devastated,I truly didn't think it would feel THIS bad though.

I am happy that I got him privately cremated and now his ashes stand on the windowsill he stood so proud on while watching out of the window.

A huge thank you goes out to the pet cemetery here who dealt with my loss so kindly, and even put some of Mika's fur into a see through keyring for me,something I did not think about at the time in the vets.

This poem i found says everything i want to say about *my boy* Mika:

They say memories are golden, well, maybe that is true.
I never wanted memories, I only wanted you.
A million times I cried.
If love alone could have saved you, you never would have died.
In life I loved you dearly, in death I love you still.
In my heart you hold a place no one else could fill.
If tears could build a stairway and heartache make a lane.
I'd walk the path to Heaven and bring you back again.
Our family chain is broken, and nothing seems the same.
But as we all leave one by one, the chain will link us again.
Thank you for the best friendship Mika